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by Kelly Slocum & S. Zorba Frankel, from our issue #19

"Make a Thousand Dollars a Week With Worms!"

Claims as grand and as misleading as this one appear in newspapers and
magazines across the US and in other countries. They would like us to
believe that vermiculture is a guaranteed money-maker, a huge money-maker and an easy money-maker. Be careful, these claims are bait.“Can I make money with earthworms?” is one of the more commonly-asked questions we get at Worm Digest.
While none of us here has ever been in the worm business, we've worked
closely with growers and researchers, learning the ins and outs of the
industry. That said, to these people, our answer is... “it depends.”
The prospects for the new worm grower will depend on many things,
including, but not limited to:

What income you expect or want

How hard and long you're willing to work

Your business sense and experience.

The existence and size of a (local or regional) market for the earthworm(s) you'll grow.

Financial and other resources.

Your climate (or ability to adjust for it).

Vermiculture vs Vermicomposting

To begin making informed decisions about getting involved in
vermiculture requires some basic information and definitions. First we
need to separate worm growing (vermiculture), from worm composting,
(vermicomposting). Vermicomposting is the point source management of
organic wastes using concentrations of earthworms. The focus of such
projects is generally the waste material, with ideal conditions for the
worms running a close second. Vermiculture is specifically the raising
of earthworms. In these projects the focus is on ideals for worm
growth, reproduction and health. While worms can be, and obviously are,
grown in vermicomposting systems, conditions are not usually OPTIMAL
for their growth. The size of the worms used in vermicomposting and
their reproductive rates are often lower than those of the same species
grown in vermiculture systems. It is important to remember these
points, as they will impact how much money needs to be invested in a
vermiculture project.

Before sinking large sums of money into a worm growing business, wise
vermiculturists will become educated on the growing of worms and the
current needs of the industry! The number of people investing in worm
growing operations without ever having studied worms is astounding and
alarming. One should begin by setting up a small-scale system in an
effort to gain first hand experience into the demands and challenges of
a system in their particular circumstance. Having worked with worms,
one is less likely to be duped by inflated claims of growth rates and
ease of system management.

If one's interest in vermiculture has been piqued by an advertiser
claiming to buy back worm stock for use in landfill remediation, the
potential investor should do some investigation. Claims of worms being
used in existing landfills are usually false. Any worm that can be
grown in a debris environment like a worm bin is not suitable for the
soil environment of a landfill. Additionally, landfills are full of
toxins lethal to worms as well as being nearly devoid of oxygen
necessary for them to live. It's unlikely that any existing landfill is
using worms to remediate the site. Similarly, some advertisers claim to
be working with large waste companies setting up huge vermicomposting
operations. Realistically, there are very few large-scale
vermicomposting operations in the world today and those that are in
operation are not normally looking for ongoing supplies of worms. Their
initial worm stock will multiply to fit the needs of their system. In
reality, many of these “buy-back” companies are simply selling the
worms raised by their growers to new investors. This is little more
than a pyramid operation in which some investors will one day be left
holding the bag.

Some people become interested in vermiculture after gaining experience
with home vermicomposting systems. Claims that worms can be grown in a
garage and fed on household table scraps imply that one can use their
garbage to achieve impressive incomes. While it's true worms do grow in
our table scraps, vermicompost systems are not usually the ideal growth
medium for worms. Attempting to make money on a vermiculture operation
will usually require providing large, healthy worms on an ongoing basis
in the most efficient manner. Household scraps are not an ideal
feedstock for worms, resulting in lower reproductive rates and smaller
worms than those grown with more ideal feeds like washed or composted
manures, livestock chow pellets, grain meals and brewery wastes. These
feedstock choices need to be purchased and transported, the costs for
which need to be figured into the bottom line. Also, to keep the worm
population breeding at maximum and to full size and health, the beds
will need to be periodically split, that is, divided so that one worm
bed becomes two. This reduces competition for space and food and
encourages optimal growth and reproduction. Space for splitting the
beds, materials to build them and the cost of feeding additional beds
need to be figured into the business plan, as will water requirements
and the potential need for heating or cooling the beds, depending on
the worm species being grown and the local climate. While none of these
issues are insurmountable by any means, those interested in growing
worms need to be aware of them and few advertisers mention them in
their training materials.

After deciding to independently start a worm business, getting a sense
of who is interested in purchasing earthworms should be the second
step. It's a prudent course of action to identify and develop markets
prior to investing large sums of money into the operation. While
identifying markets for earthworms takes a bit of creative thinking,
there are a variety of groups interested in purchasing worms on an
ongoing basis. Pet shops, fish farms and poultry operations are known
to use earthworms as feed. Home composters and gardeners are another
market one should explore. While these groups don't typically purchase
worms on an ongoing basis, home vermicomposting is gaining in interest,
increasing the demand for worms in small volumes. A vermiculturist that
begins a public education service on the value of vermicomposting, will
find themselves aiding the community and building a market
simultaneously. The bait market, while an obvious choice, may not
always be the best. Bait suppliers are often more interested in the
larger, soil-dwelling worm species, which are inappropriate for the
worm bin environment, than they are in the smaller, compost worm.
Additionally, this market is often saturated and competition is stiff.
This is not to say the vermiculturist should not try this avenue,
simply that they should be aware that most of the other growers out
there are looking at the same markets.

Those interested in getting into the worm industry should be aware that
there are very few people in the world today who support themselves
solely by growing worms. Most diversify their businesses by inventing
products associated with vermiculture/vermicomposting, selling bins,
harvesters and other vermiculture paraphernalia, selling
castings/vermicompost or by growing worms in conjunction with livestock
operations. These livestock/worm operations are likely the most
immediately successful form of vermiculture, as the two projects feed
each other, literally. The worm is grown in the waste product of the
stock animal and the stock animal is pastured on grasses enhanced with
worm castings.

"Can I make money with earthworms?" It depends; and while it's unlikely
that anyone every has or ever will make the money that inflated
advertisements proclaim, there is certainly much to be gained by
harnessing the energy of the earthworm.

Exploring Vermiculture: Words to the Wise

Talk to everyone, particularly those in the business. Talk to
those who were successful and to those who've had success and those who
haven't.

Meet growers, both novice and more experienced. See their
operations. Ask questions. Compare answers. Work alongside them if you
can.

Set up a small-scale vermiculture system and learn its management it until you are confident in your ability to expand.